K elsi Harr rea ch es Oakla w n milestone

By Robert Yates Oaklawn Racing

Kelsi Harr of Slovak became the first female rider in Oaklawn history to surpass $1 million in purse earnings at a meet when she guided Run Fearless ($29.80) to a 3 ¾-length victory in Friday’s ninth race.

The victory in the $90,000 maiden special weights sprint for Arkansas-bred fillies and mares, 3 and up, pushed Harr’s purse earnings at the 20212022 meet to $1,011,248, according to Equibase, racing’s official data gathering organization.

Harr reached the milestone on Day 61 of the expanded 66-day season (Dec. 3-May 8). Run Fearless was her 15th meet victory.

“I feel like I’ve had a very good meet,” Harr, 29, said after training hours Saturday morning. “I don’t want to sound greedy, but I always want more. Don’t want to be done yet. There are two weekends of racing left and hopefully I get a few more.”

A native of tiny Slovak, Ark., about 45 miles east of Little Rock, Harr launched her professional riding career in 2018 and began riding regularly at Oaklawn the following year. Harr has increased her purse earnings each season at Oaklawn – $207,235 in 2019, $597,939 in 2020, $646,259 in 2021 and $1,011,248, through Friday, in 2021-2022.

Harr also has set a single-season career high for victories at Oaklawn in 2021-2022. She won 11 races in 2020 to finish as Oaklawn’s leading apprentice rider, but her win total dipped to eight at the 2021 meeting. Harr rode two winners in 2019 at Oaklawn.

“Just riding hard and getting opportunities from a lot of different trainers, from ones that have used me since I was a bug and then some others that just started to use me a little bit,” Harr said. “I don’t really know what I can credit it to. Just being blessed, I guess.”

Harr rode Run Fearless for owner/trainer Jinks and out of Pistolpackinpenny, winner of the $75,000 Downthedustyroad Stakes for Arkansasbred female sprinters in 2015 at Oaklawn.

Fires, 81, trained Archarcharch, a multiple Oaklawn stakes winner, for Yagos and her husband, Bob, and Pistolpackinpenny for wife Penny. Run Fearless marked Harr’s second career victory for Fires, “Jinks has always been very good to me,” Harr said. “He rode me when I had the bug. He’s always ridden me on a few horses every meet. Might have been just the second win I’ve had for him, but he’s always been in my corner, always been good to me and supportive and given me chances.”

Harr entered Saturday with 36 victories and $2,462,678 in purse earnings in her Oaklawn career. Cindy Noll (now Cindy Murphy) is the winningest female jockey in Oaklawn history with 183. She won 47 races in 1999, with her mounts earning $629,630.

Overall through Friday, Harr had 82 vic- tories and $3,490,535 in her Thoroughbred career, according to Equibase. Harr also has seven career QuarterHorse victories at Canterbury Park, where she and her longtime fiancee, trainer Robert N. Cline, are based after the Oaklawn meeting ends. Harr and Cline will bid for their first career Oaklawn stakes victory in the $200,000 Arkansas Breeders’ Championship May 7 with Bandit Point. The Arkansas Breeders’ Championship is for state-breds at 1 1/16 miles. Bandit Point finished third in the Arkansas Breeders’ Championship in 2019, fourth in 2020 and fifth last year. Bandit Point represented Harr’s first career mount and victory June 17, 2018, at Canterbury. For more information go to https://www.oaklawn.com/racing/news/h arr-reaches-oaklawnmilestone/.

Annual Slovak Oyster Supper named one of 2023 AR Food Hall of Fame finalists

LITTLE ROCK — Prairie County’s Slovak Oyster Supper, which is held in Slovak every year, has been named as one of the 2023 Arkansas Food Hall of Fame Finalists. The Oyster Supper is one of the three finalists in the Food-Themed Events category. The other finalists in the category are the Magnolia Blossom Festival and World Championship Steak Cook-Off (Columbia County) and the Mayhaw Festival (Union County).

Arkansas Heritage launched the Arkansas Food Hall of Fame program in 2016 to recognize Arkansas’s legendary restaurants, proprietors and food-themed events across the state.

More than 1,800 submissions were received from all 75 Arkansas counties for the seventh class of the Arkansas Food Hall of Fame.

Arkansans nominated their favorites during the month of October in these five categories:

*Proprietor of the Year

*Food-Themed Event

*People’s Choice

“Arkansans are proud of their food flavors and traditions,” said Mike Mills, secretary of the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism. We know residents across the state will join us as we celebrate these restaurants, events and food people as finalists for this special program.” Winners will be selected by the Arkansas Food Hall of Fame Committee and then announced at a hybrid ceremony at Central Arkansas Library System’s Ron

Robinson Theater on March 6, 2023. The venue is located at 100 River Market Ave. in downtown Little Rock.

The public is invited to attend the reception and induction ceremony virtually or in-person. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased at ArkFoodHOF.com.

Also at that time, the People’s Choice Award, which is awarded based on the number of nominations received, will be announced.

The Arkansas Food Hall of Fame Committee is a group of Arkansans who are historians, chefs, foodies and food authors. Committee members include Paul S. Austin, Jimmy Bryant, Chip Culpepper, Quantia “Key” Fletcher, Cindy Grisham, Montine McNulty, Rex Nelson, Tim Nutt, Kat Robinson, Stephanie Wade, David Ware and Stanley Young, in addition to Mills. For more information about this program, contact Rene Lovett at Rene.Lovett@arkansas.go v or call 501-324-9788.

Fires of Hot and owner Val Yagos of Jacksonville,

*Gone But Not Forgotten

All nominees and finalists

John Elbert Pool

John Elbert Pool, 85, of Des Arc, met his precious Savior face to face after 67 years of faithful service, Thursday, Feb. 2, 2023.

Elbert was born Sept.

5, 1937 to Johnnie and Erma Pool. He was raised in Spearman, TX and as an 18-year-old young man, he decided to dedicate his life to Jesus and humbly serve Him all his days. This one decision would change the course of Elbert’s life forever and the course of countless others who were affected by his decision. Elbert soon decided to attend a Bible college in Baxter Springs, Kansas to pursue the Lord’s will for his life. The very first day there, a beautiful young woman named Carole Felts caught his eye and stole his heart, and they were married the following year. After Bible school, Elbert and his new bride Carole, moved to her hometown, Des Arc, AR, where Elbert accepted the position of Pastor of Gospel Mission Church at only 20 years of age. Elbert, with Carole by his side, would go on to pastor Gospel Mission Church for the next 50 years and continued to serve together until Carole’s death in 2019. During those years, Pastor Pool, along with Carole, raised six godly children and discipled countless members of their church and community, many of whom went on to be pastors, lay ministers, and evangelists. Pastor Pool humbly, yet boldly, shared the Gospel of Jesus Christ with everyone he encountered. He had a beautiful way of looking beyond individuals’ faults to see their needs. Pastor Pool was a faithful prayer warrior and a missionary. He journeyed to many foreign countries but had a special heart for the persecuted church, to which he and Carole traveled, taking bibles and visiting the “underground” church.

Pastor Pool was a very hard worker and a talented self-taught carpenter, dry wall layer, and finisher. This allowed the extra income needed to raise a large family, but so often he would offer his services for free, especially to family and friends.

Elbert’s large family was his pride, and his greatest joy in life would be to have them around his dinner table or visiting together in his living room. Elbert had a beautiful high tenor voice and singing was his passion. His greatest pleasure was to sing and harmonize with his children and grandchildren and to worship in song. In his later years, he loved to sing and serve at the nursing home with his friends, “The Disciples.”

Anyone who knew Pastor Pool knew him as one of the most giving, loving, humble, faithful, Godly men they had ever met. His genuine humility, unending faithfulness, and integrity elevated him to a place of honor and high esteem. Pastor Pool will be deeply missed by his family, church, and community, but because of his decision to accept Jesus, his life will continue to reap a harvest for many generations to come.

Elbert was preceded in death by his wife of 62 years, Carole; his daughter, Linda; his granddaughter, Elly Jane; and his parents and siblings.

Elbert is survived by his children, Angela (Toby) Wills, Carla (David) Smith, Pat Skarda, Brenda (Allen)

Childress, Deborah (Scott) Skarda, John (Jamie) Pool; grandchildren, Micah (Candace)

Smith, Casey (Leah)

Skarda, Caleb (Amanda)

Smith, Corey (Candace)

Skarda, Lucas (Carrie)

Childress, Hannah (Noah) Williams, Kelcie (Tyler) Huffstickler, Abram (Courtney)

Skarda, Adam (Katelyn)

Skarda, Levi (Carrie)

Childress, Jordan (Amanda) Smith, Audrey (Drew) Mitchell, Heidi (Jordan) Pierce, Lauren (Harrison) Cush, Andrew Pool, Alyssa

Dohm, and Matthew Pool; and 39 greatgrandchildren and counting.

Charlotte Evelyn Castleberry Tipton

Charlotte Evelyn Castleberry Tipton entered into Heaven on Monday, January 30, 2023 after a beautiful life. She was born on January 15, 1934 in Devalls Bluff, AR to Bedford and Gracie Lee Castleberry. She is preceded in death by her husband Bobby Dee Tipton and both parents, along with her daughter Ramona Smith and siblings Marsha Snyder, Joseph & Eugene Castleberry and Doris Downs and great-great grandson Winston Capel. She is survived by her siblings, Ray, Gerald & Brooks Castleberry (Charlene) and her children Dorsey Tipton, Alan Tipton, Deanna Abrego of Conway, AR and Janie Blevins (Rodney) of Bradford, AR. Grandchildren: Krissy Lewis(Heath), Kenny Luker, Blair Coleman (Jennifer), Nikki Calhoun (D’Kotah),Dallas Tipton (Lori), Dusty Blevins (Fallon), Beth VanByssum (Bobby), Macy Gardner (Blaine). Great Grandchildren: Caitlyn Capel (Triston), Alyson Miller, Terrance & Brailyn Luker, Briar Blevins, Blakely & Briley Gardner, Adri Houston, Aubree Calhoun, Seth Merice, Benjamin, Colton & Everlea VanByssum, Jasmine Lasker, Quentin Evans, Michael Long, Zachary & Olivia Linson, Ashley & Salem Stover along with many nieces and nephews whom she dearly loved. She is also survived by her lifelong best friend Rosetta VanHouten and long time friend Birdie Hartwick.

Charlotte worked many years at Baldwin Piano, loved her crochet, word puzzles, all things fishing and was Mema to so many. She was a loving and devoted mother to five children but always made time for everyone and always made sure we knew that we were all her “favorite”.

Visitation was Friday February 3, 2023 at 1 pm with service follow ing officiated by Justin Brooks at Wilcox Family Funeral Home in Greenbrier, AR with burial following at Crestlawn Cemetery.

Pallbearers will be Bill Lewis, Heath Lewis, Bobby VanByssum, Blaine Gardner, Rodney Blevins and Bruce Wagner.